California’s aviation regulator on Thursday voted in favor of an ambitious plan to drastically reduce reliance on fossil fuels by changing practices in the energy, transportation and agricultural sectors, but critics say it is not enough to tackle climate change.
The plan aims to achieve so-called carbon neutrality by 2045, meaning the country will remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as it emits. The aim is to achieve this in part by reducing the demand for fossil fuels by 86% over that time period.
California has previously made this goal of carbon neutrality a goal, but Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law making it a mandate this year. He said drastic changes were needed to position California as a global climate leader.
Capturing large amounts of carbon and storing it underground is one of the most controversial elements of the proposal. Critics say it gives the state’s biggest polluter an excuse not to do enough to mitigate climate change.
Earlier in Thursday’s meeting, Leanne Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board, touted the latest version of the plan as its most ambitious yet. It was changed after public comments earlier this year.
“Ultimately, achieving carbon neutrality requires implementing every available tool to reduce emissions and store carbon,” said Randolph.
The plan doesn’t require the state to take specific actions, but it does provide a rough roadmap for how California can achieve its goals. Here are the highlights:
Renewable energy
Implementation of the plan depends on the country’s ability to shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources. It calls on the country to reduce demand for liquid fuel oil by 94% by 2045 and double its solar and wind capacity over the same period.
Another goal is for new residential and commercial buildings to be powered by electrical equipment before the next decade.
The demands to drastically reduce its reliance on oil and gas come as state officials continue to struggle to avoid blackouts as a record heatwave prompts Californians to turn on their air conditioners.
Transport
Officials hope the shift away from gas-powered cars and trucks will reduce greenhouse gas emissions while limiting the public health impact of the chemicals the vehicles emit.
In a July letter to the Air Council, Newsom asked the agency to agree to aggressive cuts in aircraft emissions, a move that will accompany other cuts in the transportation sector as the state switches to all zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035.
The plan’s goals include meeting 10 percent of aviation fuel needs from electric or hydrogen sources by 2045 and ensuring that all medium-duty vehicles sold are emission-free by 2040. The Council has issued a policy to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
carbon capture
The plan identifies carbon capture as a “necessary tool” that countries can implement alongside other strategies to mitigate climate change. It calls for the country to capture and store 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent underground by 2045.
Connie Cho, an attorney with environmental justice group Community for a Better Environment, called the plan a “huge step forward” in limiting climate change and protecting public health.
“Our people have suffered from chronic illness and died a disproportionate number of times because of the legacy of environmental racism in this country for too long,” said Cho.
However, Cho has criticized his carbon capture targets, saying they provide a way for refiners to continue polluting the environment while the state cuts emissions elsewhere.
Agriculture
One of the targets is to reduce methane emissions from agriculture by 66% by 2045. Cattle are a major source of methane, a powerful gas that fuels global warming.
Implementing the plan also means reducing dependence on the agricultural sector for fossil fuels as an energy source.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.